In the past 10 years, the ability to decode or “sequence” DNA has grown
by a million-fold, a stunning rate of progress that is producing a flood
of information about human biology and disease. Because of these
advances, the scientific community — and the world as a whole — stands
on the verge of a revolution in biology. In the coming decades
scientists will be able to understand how cells are “wired” and how that
wiring is disrupted in human diseases ranging from diabetes to cancer to
schizophrenia. Now, with his free online course,7.00x
Introductory Biology: The Secret of Life, genome pioneer Eric
Lander, the founding director of the Broad Institute and a professor at
MIT and Harvard Medical School, will explain to students around the
world the basics of biology – the secret of life, so to speak – so that
they can understand today’s revolution in biology.

EdX,
the not-for-profit online learning initiative founded by Harvard
University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), brings
the best courses from the best faculty at the best institutions to
anyone with an Internet connection. For the past 20 years, legendary
teacher Lander has taught Introductory Biology to more than half of all
MIT students. He has now adapted his course for online education,
creating the newest course on the edX platform. The course, 7.00X, is
now open for enrollment, with the first class slated for March 5th. This
course will include innovative technology including a 3D molecule viewer
and gene explorer tool to transform the learning experience. It is open
to all levels and types of learners.

“Introducing the freshman class of MIT to the basics of biology is
exhilarating,” said Lander. “Now, with this edX course, I look forward
to teaching people around the world. There are no prerequisites for this
course – other than curiosity and an interest in understanding some of
the greatest scientific challenges of our time.”

Those taking the course will learn the fundamental ideas that underlie
modern biology and medicine, including genetics, biochemistry, molecular
biology, recombinant DNA, genomics and genomic medicine. They will
become familiar with the structure and function of macromolecules such
as DNA, RNA and proteins and understand how information flows within
cells. Students will explore how mutations affect biological function
and cause human disease. They will learn about modern molecular
biological techniques and their wide-ranging impact.

“Eric Lander has created this remarkable digitally enhanced introduction
to genetics and biology,” said Anant Agarwal, President of edX. “With
this unique online version, he has brought the introductory biology
course to a new level. It has been completely rethought and retooled,
incorporating cutting-edge online interactive tools as well as
community-building contests and milestone-based prizes.”

With online courses through edX like 7.00x, what matters isn’t what
people have achieved or their transcripts, but their desire to learn.
Students only need to come with a real interest in science and the
desire to understand what's going on at the forefront of biology, and to
learn the fundamental principles on which an amazing biomedical
revolution is based – from one of the top scientist in the world. 7.00x
Introductory Biology: The Secret of Lifeis now
available for enrollment. Classes will start on March 4,2013.

Dr. Eric Lander is President and Founding Director of the Broad
Institute of Harvard and MIT, a new kind of collaborative biomedical
research institution focused on genomic medicine. Dr. Lander is also
Professor of Biology at MIT and Professor of Systems Biology at the
Harvard Medical School. In addition, Dr. Lander serves as Co-Chair of
the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, which
advises the White House on science and technology. A geneticist,
molecular biologist and mathematician, Dr. Lander has played a
pioneering role in all aspects of the reading, understanding and medical
application of the human genome. He was a principal leader of the
international Human Genome Project (HGP) from 1990-2003, with his group
being the largest contributor to the mapping and sequencing of the human
genetic blueprint. Dr. Lander was an early pioneer in the free
availability of genomic tools and information. Finally, he has mentored
an extraordinary cadre of young scientists who have become the next
generation of leaders in medical genomics. The recipient of numerous
awards and honorary degrees, Dr. Lander was elected a member of the U.S.
National Academy of Sciences in 1997 and of the U.S. Institute of
Medicine in 1999.

The Eli and Edythe L. Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard was founded in
2003 to empower this generation of creative scientists to transform
medicine with new genome-based knowledge. The Broad Institute seeks to
describe all the molecular components of life and their connections;
discover the molecular basis of major human diseases; develop effective
new approaches to diagnostics and therapeutics; and disseminate
discoveries, tools, methods and data openly to the entire scientific
community.

Founded by MIT, Harvard and its affiliated hospitals, and the visionary
Los Angeles philanthropists Eli and Edythe L. Broad, the Broad Institute
includes faculty, professional staff and students from throughout the
MIT and Harvard biomedical research communities and beyond, with
collaborations spanning over a hundred private and public institutions
in more than 40 countries worldwide. For further information about the
Broad Institute, go to www.broadinstitute.org.

About edX

EdX
is a not-for-profit enterprise of its founding partners Harvard
University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology focused on
transforming online and on-campus learning through groundbreaking
methodologies, game-like experiences and cutting-edge research. EdX
provides inspirational and transformative knowledge to students of all
ages, social status, and income who form worldwide communities of
learners. EdX uses its open source technology to transcend physical and
social borders. We’re focused on people, not profit. EdX is based in
Cambridge, Massachusetts in the USA.